The Fayette Citizen-News Page
Friday, February 26, 1999
PTC Development Authority supports continued county-funded effort to lure industries here

By KAY S. PEDROTTI
Staff Writer

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The Development Authority of Peachtree City believes that a Fayette County development authority "will survive," but plans to send a letter to the county commission "in support of the operation and funding of a countywide authority," said DAPC Chairman Tom Farr.

Recent comments by county commissioners called into question the need for countywide economic development, because of very low unemployment and costs of luring industries here. The commission directed county staff to study the impact of new industries on taxes and county services, present them to the development authority for analysis and then recheck information based on authority response.

The goal, said Commission Chairman Harold Bost, is to understand all the facts and determine whether aggressive economic development is needed. The development authority's annual budget is around $175,000, and the commission wants the facts in preparation for the fiscal year 2000 budget which begins in July.

DAPC member Doug Warner generated the discussion on the county authority at the regular meeting Monday. He asked the question of whether the Peachtree City authority "could handle" economic development without the county authority, if a decision is made in that direction.

"I think the county development authority will survive," Farr said. "If the economic development community gives the county good, objective information, the facts can stand on their own."

Jim Fulton said he felt the DAPC should write to the county in support of the countywide effort. Authority members voted to allow Farr to draft a letter.

FOREIGN TRADE ZONE

The DAPC's application process with Georgia Foreign Trade Zone Inc. is almost complete, and approval is imminent for Panasonic of Peachtree City as the city's first FTZ company.

Godfrey also reported that both Peachtree City and Tyrone have passed resolutions of support for locating a technical school in the city's industrial park area. The development of the school is awaiting state legislative approval of about $400,000 for a planning study through Griffin Tech.


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